Just after the Texas Tech women’s basketball team finished its shootaround before an exhibition game against Lubbock Christian University on Nov. 9, 2009, the Lady Raiders retreated to the locker room.

There, Tech coach Kristy Curry made her final pregame arrangements and then announced the starters.

“Right after shootaround,” guard Monique Smalls recalled, “she goes, ‘These are the starters: Blah blah and Mo and blah blah blah. I was like Mo? what do you mean Mo? I was like, ‘I’m supposed to come off the bench.’ ”

Three seasons and 128 regular-season starts later, Smalls still hasn’t entered the game off the bench,

When the senior’s name is called at 7 p.m. Wednesday in United Spirit Arena when the Lady Raiders (20-7, 10-5 in Big 12 Conference play) take on Oklahoma State (19-7,8-7), it will mark a school-record 129 consecutive starts for the guard.

The spunky Smalls didn’t realize she was about to break a school record (Erin Grant, 2002-2006, is the current record holder) until her mother told her, as she is focused on the finishing of games more than the start.

“I don’t pay attention to that. I just want to have fun, and I want to go far,” said Smalls, who is averaging 8.4 points, and 3.1 assists per game this season. “With me, my personality is I like to give to people and make sure they’re happy before I’m happy, and so this is kind of one of those things where I’ve taken basketball — I’m the point guard. I need to strap my team up and grab them together and get my seniors and everyone else as far as we can possibly go.”

Point guards essentially have to be a leader on the court and off, Curry said, and Smalls has taken up that role.

“They’re just an extension of our coaching staff every day,” Curry said. “Whether it’s on the court, in the community, locker room — so much falls on their shoulders. Everything’s their fault, you know? And they don’t get enough credit.”

She has dealt with the ups and downs, and she puts a lot of mistakes on her shoulders. She’s her own worst critic.

Smalls, who can’t remember the last time she came off the bench (probably while playing in a church league as a kid where minutes were strictly controlled, she said), expected to learn from another player while taking a seat on the pine.

Such was not the case.

“I think that was the case just because our roster was pretty thin at that point,” Curry said with a laugh.

So Smalls took over the starting job from the onset, averaging 34 minutes a game her first year.

In four seasons she has steadily increased her scoring output, lowered her total turnovers and increased her free-throw percentage.

“I would say it’s been fun, but at the same time it did have its tough moments,” Smalls said. “I think there were times I started thinking a lot, like ‘Oh man, the pressure’s on me. I got to make sure they get in their spots. I got to make sure they execute because if we don’t, if Casey (Morris) and Chynna (Brown) don’t get the ball, it’s going to be my fault.’”

Smalls credits former Tech assistant coach Brooke Stoehr in helping her develop the necessary skills to help lead the Lady Raiders.

Both Brown and Morris are having their best offense seasons of their career, having shown marked improvement since their underclassmen days. Much of that is thanks to the work they’ve put in, but they have both acknowledged this season Smalls’ help in feeding them the ball.

Morris and Curry praised Smalls’ ability to shoot the ball this season as one of her most improved skills. Holding a slim, 59-58 lead late against Kansas on Sunday, Smalls hit a clutch 3-pointer from the corner to help stave off the Jayhawks.

“She knows when she needs to shoot and when she needs to get other people the ball,” Morris said.

With only three regular-season games left, Smalls spoke about the need to finish strong — something she believes the team has done well in games this year en route to a 20-win season.

While reflecting on the ups and downs of her 128 games at Tech, Smalls hopes to push bask the finish line of her time in the scarlet and black.

“As seniors we’ve been trying to bring this program back to life,” Smalls said. “I think if we started getting a roll on it, then these new (recruits) that are coming in, they’ll start seeing it and hopefully continue it.”